SOCIETY REX

KALARAMA REX  X  SPOONBILL

On April 7, 1937, Spoonbill produced her most famous offspring, Society Rex, at Kalarama Farm.

Named for his second dam and sire, the bay colt Society Rex was a precocious youngster and was picked from 14 others foaled at Kalarama to represent the farm in yearling competition.  He made his show ring debut at Harrodsburg, led by Joe Walker, winning the class at the Mercer County Fair. 

Society Rex as a yearling

As a two year old, Society Rex was shown just one time, at home at the Springfield show, where Frank Bradshaw drove him to win the two-year-old fine harness and the fine harness stake.  He was used for stud for the first time the next spring and again his only show was Springfield, where Bradshaw rode him to win the junior five gaited and placed second in the Championship.

His biggest year in the show ring was 1941.  He topped the stallion-gelding class and the junior fine harness stake at the Lexington junior league horse show with Frank Bradshaw in the buggy.  Ray Thurman took over the lines at the Indiana and Kentucky State Fairs and the four year old stallion was junior fine harness champion at Indianapolis and reserve in the stake.

World War 11 then put a serious crimp on equine activities and ended the show career of Society Rex.  With war raging and the horse business slow, Ray Thurman and his aging mother decided to end their partnership with a dispursal sale on Sept. 22, 1944. 

Society Rex was bought by W. H. Anderson of Ashville, N. Carolina, owner of Mar-Beth-Top Farm and he sent the stallion to stand at Minton Hickory Far, Barbourville, Ky.

Late in 1950 W. H. Anderson died and S. R. Cross of Huckleberry Hill Farm, Marion, N. Carolina became the new owner.  Society Rex was sent back to Kalarama and then again to Minton Hickory.  S. R. Cross died in a plane crash in 1953 and a most unusual method was devised for the sale of Society Rex--a silent auction conducted by the heir's attorney.  Nine bids were submitted in sealed envelopes and were opened on Feb. 15, 1954.  The successful bidder was C. Y. Thomason of Greenwood, S. Carolina, also a client of Jack Boyd.  Society Rex remained at Minton Hickory until the spring of 1957 when he was brought to Greenwood.  Sam Brannon had been hired as manager-trainer and the horses were kept at Greenwood Fairgrounds.  On June 12 Society Rex was found dead in his stall and was buried at Greenwood.

He was noted as the sire of high quality leg-using horses and he had a total of 347 get.

Society was a grand individual, a wonderful sire, but most important, in retrospect, todays major link to the Denmark blood of Rex McDonald and Highland Denmark.

Text history excerpts from article in the American Saddlebred issue 1998 issue by Lynn Weatherman